Improvement in coffins



Uivrrn rnfrns PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY vF. QUINT, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN COFFINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 210,210, dated November 26, 1878; application iiled October 30, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, HENRY F. QUINT, of Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Goffins, of which the following is aspecification:

My invention relates to cofns, caskets, and burial-cases; and consists in the employment of a rolling or folding curtain or screen ari ranged beneath the lid or cover, and provided with means whereby it may be extended or moved to cover the opening` or openings in the lid orcover, or drawn back to uncover the same from the outside, without opening or unscaling the cofin, as hereinafter more fully explained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a top-plan view of a casket provided with my improved device, showing the curtain or screen extended over the opening in the lid; Fig. 2, a similar view with the curtain or screen moved back to uncoverthe same; Fig. 3, aplan view with the lid or cover removed, and Fig. 4i a longitudinal section.

As commonly constructed, the lids or covers of coffins arel provided with a readily-detachabl-eportion, coveringa-n opening through which the corpse may be viewed; or in some cases the entire top of the coffin or casket is so provided, the openings beingl frequently covered with glass. It is found that when Ithus constructed it not unfrequently happens that the openings are of such size as to present to view portions of the body which it is desirableto have concealed, on account of their being discolored or shrunken, and also that considerable inconvenience is experienced in applying and removing the detachable portion or portions by reason of their interfering with flowers, &c., with which the coffin or casket is usually furnished, besides frequently occasionin g unpleasantnoise in its application.

To obviate these difficulties, and vprovide a coffin or casket in which the glass in the openings may be more or less covered or uncovered at will, and in which the trouble and annoyance occasioned by the ordinary removable lid for temporarily exposing to view or concealing the remains may be avoided.

I construct the same as shown in the drawings, in which A represents a body or ease,

and B a permanent lid,furnished with an opening, C, preferably provided with glass, G, as shown. v

Directly beneath the lid B, and a short distance below the lower end of theopening O, I place a transverse roller, D, mounted and turn ing at its ends in suitable bearings, to which `each side, and thence to and through a centrally-located eye or staple, b, as shown, and out through an opening or notch formed in the end of the cofn directly below the lid. The ends of the two cords are here united and provided with a tassei or button, as shown in Fig.l

4. In this way the cords are caused to pass each side of the opening O, and prevented from crossing the same, and thereby obstructing the view.

In practice, I prefer to provide the roller with a coiled take-up spring, whereby the roller is caused to revolve and wind the curtain or screen upon its exterior in the saine manner as those commonly employed with window-cur tains; but it is obvious that other means may be provided to the same end.

It will be seen that when thus arranged the curtain or screen may be drawn any desired distance across the opening O by simply drawing on the cords E, and when brought to the desired point may be there secured by simply tying or winding the cord about a button or stud, F, secured upon the end of the coffin, or

'by a spring-clip or similar well-known device.

When the opening C is covered by the curtain, and it is desired to uncover the same, it is only necessary to release the cord E, Awhen the spring-roller D winds the curtain in.

When it is desired to apply this device to coftns or caskets in which the entire top` is exposed or open, the same general arrangement is employed; but the roller is placed at the lower end and concealed under the upholstering, or in some similar manner; and it is also to be noticed that my device is equally as applicable tocofiins or caskets not provided with a glass plate, as to those Where the corpse is protected by glass in the opening.

The curtain or screen H may be of any suitable opaque substance-such, for instance, as silk or velvet-and may have any suitable inscription embroidered or Wrought thereupon.

It Will be observed that this arrangement dispenses with all noise, is extremely convenient and quick of operation, and, being beneath the lid or cover, can in no Way interfere with owers or other decorations placed upon the cofn or casket.

It is apparent that other means may be employed for operating the roller, or that, instead of being rolled up, the curtain may be made to fold; that the spring may be arranged to close instead of open the curtain, or that it may be omitted and other devices used for operating the roller, or cords arranged to both open and close the curtain.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. As an improvement in coflins having a face-opening, the combination therewith of an internal rolling or folding curtain and an operating device, substantially such as shown, extending to the outside of the coffin, whereby the curtain may be closed or opened from the outside without opening the coffin.

2. The combination of the coffin having the face-opening, theinternal spring-roller or other retracting device, the exible blind connected thereto, and a cord extending from the shade through the coffin to its outside.

3. In combination with the coffin, the internal horizontal roller and shade, the guides a, and the cords E, passed around the faceopening through the guides, and thence to the outside of the coffin.

HENRY F. QUINT. Witnesses:

J. P. BUCKLAND, W. G. WHITE. 

